Representative Gregory W Meeks, ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, led a bipartisan call for Trump to attend the Quad Summit in India, East Asia Summit in Malaysia, and the APEC in South Korea, saying that would showcase US leadership and counter China’s ‘aggressive’ influence in the region. The letter also stressed at the strategic importance of the Indo-Pacific.
Speaking of the Indo-Pacific region, the letter states that it is vital to America’s security and prosperity and remains at the center of our strategic competition with the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The letter to Trump noted that the Quad partnership with India, Australia, and Japan serves as the cornerstone for advancing shared interests in the Indo-Pacific.
The letter added that these forums are also crucial for reaffirming America’s central role in global commerce and attracting greater foreign investment. “Equally important, these forums provide opportunities to affirm that America remains at the center of global commerce and attract more foreign direct investment.”
“As Beijing aggressively expands its influence in the region, your personal attendance at three critical multilateral summits this fall is essential to demonstrate U.S. leadership and counter PRC ambitions,” the lawmakers said in the letter. Also Read | ‘100% tariffs on China not sustainable’: Trump
The letter further states how China is the most serious geopolitical challenge to America since Cold War. “The PRC is our most serious geopolitical challenge since the Cold War and nowhere is this rivalry sharper than in the Indo-Pacific.”
“In recent months, Beijing has escalated military pressure, economic coercion, and diplomatic engagement in the region. President Xi Jinping has sought to showcase China’s military and diplomatic might to the world, while proclaiming that China will lead the international and regional order,” it said.
“Your participation in these summits would be a powerful response to Xi’s diplomatic campaign, reassuring allies and reaffirming America’s leadership in the region,” the lawmakers said. “Your presence and voice will demonstrate that America remains committed to a free and open Indo-Pacific. We urge you to announce your decision to attend these summits as soon as possible.”
Cosigners included Chairwoman and Ranking Member of the East Asia and Pacific Subcommittee, Young Kim and Ami Bera, and Chairman and Ranking Member of the South and Central Asia Subcommittee, Bill Huizenga and Sydney Kamlager-Dove.
